Updates

The NFL announced it will open an NFL Academy in Australia in September 2024 to service the Asia-Pacific region, as the league continues to invest in long-term global football development efforts and pathways for international talent.

The NFL Academy is a major global initiative offering talented student-athletes the opportunity to combine full-time education alongside intensive training in American football — under the guidance of a world-class coaching staff.

“The NFL Academy is a significant league initiative that is driving football development efforts globally and successfully changing the lives of young people around the world," said Brett Gosper, head of Europe and APAC with the NFL. “We look forward to bringing the program to the Gold Coast and continuing to build authentic player pathways for international talent, giving more young people from the Asia-Pacific region the opportunity to play the game in the years ahead."

The NFL Academy will be based at A.B. Paterson College in south-east Queensland on Australia's Gold Coast. The partnership with the college will focus on athletic, educational and career pathway opportunities for student-athletes and the wider community.

Beginning in September 2024, student-athletes aged 12-18 years old will be eligible to apply for a place in the football development program in Australia. The NFL Academy and A.B. Paterson College will support students with the best education and resources, while promoting football performance, player pathways and future collegiate scholarship opportunities.

The NFL and A.B. Paterson College, supported by the City of Gold Coast and the Queensland State Government, will also fund and build an elite high-performance NFL Academy facility on existing college grounds, to be completed in 2026, that will be available for community use.

This will be the second global NFL Academy for the league, with the first being in the U.K. supporting athletes from across Europe and Africa. More than 40 alumni have secured college football scholarships in the U.S. since its inception with more than 30 students set to play college football in the 2024 season, and 19 of those athletes playing in Division 1 college programs.

The program will also be central to continuing the growth of flag football in the region for men, women and young people following the sport's successful inclusion at the LA28 Olympic Games. In partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the league is investing in the development and growth of flag football at both grassroots and elite levels across Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

Jordan Mailata, Australian NFL offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and alumni of the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) program, will be an ambassador for the NFL Academy in Australia. Mailata's journey from being scouted by the NFL in 2017 to playing in Super Bowl LVII, provides great inspiration to young athletes from the region.

“Football has changed my life, and opening an NFL Academy in Australia will no doubt help many more young people change theirs," said Mailata. “The Asia-Pacific region is rich in sporting talent, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of football players out there craft their own pathway to playing in the NFL in the years to come."

NFL Academy talent recruitment camps will take place in Australia and New Zealand beginning in June 2024, with successful participants from these trials joining the first academic class of the NFL Academy in Australia. Athletes who cannot attend a camp are also eligible to apply at www.NFLAcademy.com 

For more information on the NFL Academy visit here. Follow the NFL Academy on TikTok, X, Instagram and YouTube.